On Wednesday, the Russian Aerospace Forces bombed one of their own cities.
In what is the latest example of Russian military incompetence in the war, a Russian Su-34 Flanker fighter jet released the ordnance it was carrying over Belgorod, the regional capital of the Belgorod province.
The Incident
According to a press release by the Russian Ministry of Defense, on Wednesday, April 20, a Su-34 Flanker fighter jet flying over Belgorod unloaded its munitions over the city.
As a result of the mistaken airstrike, residential buildings have been damaged.
Three people were injured in the airstrike, while no fatalities have been reported yet. The Russian Ministry of Defense is investigating the incident.
Russian officials are now trying to determine the structural integrity of the damaged buildings and whether they are under the threat of collapse.
“Now the most important thing is to conduct a construction expertise of the supporting structures of this house and prepare design estimates in order to start restoration work as quickly as possible,” Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his personal Telegram channel.
The airstrike also created a 65-foot-wide crater in a central street of Belgorod.
“A very large amount of work needs to be done in order to remove the damaged canvas, so that the street is still covered with a hard surface,” Gladkov added in his updates to the people of Belgorod.
Not the First Time
This is the second friendly fire incident involving a Su-34 Flanker fighter jet. In October, an aircraft of that type crashed into an apartment building in the small town of Yeysk, in southern Russia, killing several people inside their homes.
Belgorod province borders Ukraine, while the city of Belgorod is only 25 miles from the conflict zone. The Russian mechanized assaults against Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, started from Belgorod. The region is a key logistical node for the Russian campaign in eastern Ukraine.
Unfortunately, for yet another instance, it’s innocent civilians who are suffering the consequences of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression.
The Russian Aerospace Forces in Ukraine
The Russian Aerospace Forces – or Russian Air Force – have underperformed in the war in Ukraine.
More than 14 months into the conflict and the Russian air force doesn’t control the skies.
Indeed, Russian fighter, attack, and bomber aircraft frequently don’t even approach the frontlines.
Instead, Russian aircraft deploy stand-off munitions, such as cruise missiles, from a distance to avoid the Ukrainian air defenses.
The Russian Aerospace Force’s lack of air superiority can be traced to the crucial opening hours of the conflict.
At the onset of the invasion, Russian aircraft conducted airstrikes against pre-determined fixed Ukrainian positions. Although it had some successes, the Russian Aerospace Forces failed to completely destroy the Ukrainian air defenses.
Reacting fast and cleverly, the Ukrainian military leadership dispersed its air defenses, making it almost impossible for the Russian Aerospace Forces to find and destroy them.
For all the hype around the Russian Aerospace Forces before the invasion, they lack the sustained capability to conduct precision strikes against moving targets in a contested environment.
Expert Biography
A 19FortyFive Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.
